Example of essay on four acts of parliament

Tea Act of 1773

Great Britain’s parliament saw the need to reduce the surplus of tea that was massively coming in from other regions causing problems for their own by British East India Company. The company was enduring financial troubles and Britain in what could be seen as a selfish move was struggling to make it survive. There was a lingering motive that still sought to undercut the price of the tea that found its way to North American Colonies through smuggling. Colonists would be in the process be convinced to purchase tea from the company and thus the taxation imposed by the parliament would go through. This act coming at 1773 gave their own company monopoly in trading tea in America.

Currency Act of 1751 and 1764

Great Britain’s parliament passed several acts to regulate the money in paper form that would be issued by British America’s colonies. The motive by Britain was to protect its merchants and creditors from receiving payment of depreciating colonial currency. These acts were later cited as grievances by the colonists when the American Revolution was up and running. The first Currency Act of 1751 established restrictions on emission of paper money for colonies under New England territory while the second of 1764 witnessed the Act extend its influence to North America. Under all this, British parliament was of the view that colonial currency was causing a devaluing harm to their trade. The banning of American assemblies from issuing bills of credit or paper bills stirred the spirit that eventually resulted to the American Revolution.

The Stamp Act of 1765

The act imposed direct taxation on the colonies by the British Parliament. It demanded the provision of rather many materials that were printed bearing a stamped paper specifically produced in London and had a revenue stamp. The materials that required stamping included amongst others magazines newspapers and legal documents. The tax was supposed to be paid in valid and real British currency while colonial paper money was not considered at all (Trevelyan, 2002). Considering that these was the first time that British had imposed direct taxation, it was without doubt that revolt would follow and this was a motivating factor to the massively discussed American Revolution. The Americans felt disregarded, left out and not cared for in this Act. The only benefit was for the British. Great Britain’s intention and argument was that the tax would help in the payment of the troops that were mainly stationed in North America especially after the Seven Year’s War. On their view, colonies were the prime beneficiaries of the presence of military troops.

Townshend Acts of 1767

These were acts passed in series by the Parliament of Great Britain in relation to British colonies especially those in North America dating from 1767. Trevelyan (2002) says that the program was named after its proposer Charles Townshend who was a Chancellor of the Exchequer. Under this there were acts such as the New York Restraining Act, the Commissioners of Customs Act, the Indemnity Act, the Vice Admiralty Act and the Revenue Act. All this acts targeted to raise revenue that would later be used salaries for the judges and governors that operated in the colonies so that these officials would become independent from colonial rule. There was also the intention of creation of more effective means to enforce compliance of the laid down regulations relating to trade. All this acts progressed to demonstrate that British parliament had all the right it required to tax the colonies. It however did not go well for Americans with early signs being resistance that progressed to the Boston Massacre and all this resulted to the awakening of the American Revolution.

References

Trevelyan, G. O. (2002). The American Revolution. New York: Longmans, Green, and co.